He Wasn't There
by TallDarkAndHandsome
Summary: Natalie is looking for Peter after the wedding to tell him she loves him. But he is nowhere to be seen! Alternative Ending to the amazingness that was the Peter x Natalie relationship. One-shot.


**I don't own Blackpool. Although I do want to share an ice-cream with David Tennant.  
P.S: Don't watch Blackpool? Whachoo doing? GO WATCH IT NOW. 6 episodes; 45 min each.**

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Natalie left the wedding with a smile on her face. She was glad that she married Ripley; she had no regrets. She needed to know what love was and got a teasing semblance of it. But she met Peter and love suddenly wasn't two-dimensional anymore. Head filled with thoughts of him, she straightened the red dress and the flowers in her hair, grabbed her bag and walked to the main road. With one last glance at the beautifully decorated ceremony, she headed over to Peter's.

As Natalie walked past Good Samaritan's, she looked around to see if he was waiting for her by any chance. He wasn't. The realization gutted her and she pushed it away but she continued to head towards his flat. A car flew past her and the dress flapped on her bare legs. She kept walking fast, opened the gate, rode the elevator and knocked twice on the door, barely breathing in anticipation. She knocked again.

Nobody answered her.

Natalie pounded on the door, urging him to let her in.

Silence.

She wondered if he was ignoring her. Surely, this is where he'd be when he's upset and shut off from the world. This was there anybody would be when they were upset. Home.

Or he'd be at work but it was a Sunday and she strongly suspected he was emotionally stable to work. Not after what she said to him.

A furry mass suddenly rested on her feet. Natalie looked down, alarmed.

It was a smoky grey cat.

She smiled at it. As she bent down to pet it, its owner appeared from round the corner of the corridor. Seizing her opportunity, Natalie smiled at him.

'Is this your cat?'

The man who appeared to be in his late forties, beamed at her. 'Inn' she a beauty? I gotta from the road. Poor thing covered in dirt, kicked out by her bastard owners from across the road.'

'Hey, can you tell me, if you know, where the man in this apartment is?'

'Oh you mean, Peter Carlisle? He's probably at work. Him being the police and not having days off and all.'

'No,' Natalie said. 'He was there at my daughter's wedding and he left without a word.'

'And you decided to show up to his flat because he didn't have a word with you?'

Natalie considered his words. He smirked at her until she caved.

'I made lots of stupid mistakes and I wanted to do one right thing before I go to sleep tonight. So can you please help me? I really have to speak with him.'

The man's smile fell. 'I'm sorry, honey. I have no idea where he might be. I wish I did, though.' He seemed genuinely sorry for her. 'I hope you find him.'

Natalie began panicking. He wasn't at home, then where was he?

She rode the elevator down and asked the security if Peter Carlisle was seen leaving. The man hadn't seen Peter since last night when he returned home from work.

She thanked the man and hurried out of there as quickly as possible. As she stepped out, the first few droplets of rain fell on her hair like cold acid. Hurrying, she took off her heels and ran barefoot. People on the street stared at her from under their umbrellas but Natalie could care less.

She was finding him tonight, no matter what.

Focusing on her husband's words from earlier, she searched high and low for DI Peter Carlisle.

_You love someone else._

She asked the people from his station. They hadn't seen him. His flight was due in ten hours. She was positive that he was probably at the airport. Leaving Blackpool forever just because he fell in love with her.

_You don't believe that. You don't believe it. You're a good person. That's what I love about you._

She ran back to Good Samaritan's, her breath coming out in short bursts. She opened the door. She asked everyone in.

He hadn't been there.

_You know the difference between right and wrong. Thing is, you wouldn't have done what you did to Carlisle without good reason._

As her mind calmed down while the rain poured and poured, Natalie found a warm feeling spreading from her brain. He hadn't gone yet. He couldn't have. He had no time to escape and the agency said he hadn't officially quit his job yet. Peter was still here.

There was still hope.

_You always put the kids first. You always put me first._

She ran towards all their previous meeting spots. The restaurant, around Blackpool tower, the supermarket.

He wasn't there.

_By my reckoning, you must have loved him more than anybody you've ever loved your whole life._

Natalie stood inside the supermarket and gazed at the rain outside. She counted off everywhere she knew Peter would go. As she went down her list, she realized she missed a very important location.

Natalie Holden ran.

_When you close your eyes, I bet it's you and him you see together eh?_

She saw the pagoda from the distance and sprinted towards it. She saw the silhouette of a man with dark spiky hair. As she approached the man, she saw that it was him. Gazing into the distance. The pagoda shielding him from rain and everyone else.

_You know what drives me mad? When I close my eyes, I see you and him together as well._

She wondered what she looked like then. Drenched, sticky and sloppy was probably the most accurate description right then.

_You already look like a couple._

She walked slowly to him, making sure he didn't notice her. Then, she said softly,

'Peter?'

He spun around, his usually animated and intense eyes, dull and soulless. She stared at him, smiling the widest in her entire life, hoping she'd break through his façade. She wondered if he didn't want to see her anymore.

She saw a glimmer of anger in his eyes.

'Peter, can you listen to me for one minute? I just want to say a few things. You can do as you please after I'm done.'

'The last time we were here, you broke up with me. You told me to get over it. Let's not repeat the past, Natalie,' he said, his pain cutting into her. 'I have no intention of ever speaking with you again.'

She knew he was reacting on his emotions; not with his head. But the words hurt, nevertheless.

'Peter please,' she said, reaching her hand out to hold his.

He ripped his hand from hers. Crossing his hands, he stared at her.

'I told you earlier today that you were a liar. I couldn't trust you and you scared me Peter. It scared me that you would do that to me, when I thought we had something special. What I didn't know was that I was a bigger liar than you ever were. I told you I needed to be with my husband; that it was the right thing to do. I gave up my love for you. Ripley was right. If I stayed, I'd be pretending. I've been pretending the past couple of weeks and he could carry on letting me pretend for the rest of my life. But that is not living Peter. The first rule of truly living, is to do the thing you're most afraid of. However, I didn't have the courage to go against my conscience,' she said, not taking her eyes away from him. The rain crashed around them.

'But I want to live now. And I promise that I will go with you. No more cold feet. Me and Ripley are done for good; he understands our situation better than I, Shayan is married and Danny has the leisure center to take care of. For once in my life, I want to be rash and impulsive. For once, I want to live.'

Peter maintained his cold stony glare. Natalie however, felt a huge weight lifting off her head and she knew that no matter what his answer was, she'd be content because he knew how she felt then.

'You're awfully sure about yourself. What makes you think I still want you in my life?'

'I don't. Just like you didn't know how I'd respond. Thing is I covered up what I felt for you. I don't know if you still feel the same way for me but please don't do what I did.'

Peter's eyes grew intense. Natalie stared back. He walked forward and stopped a few inches away from her lips.

'How can I be sure that you're not going to walk away from me again?'

She felt his breath on her lips and that dizzied her. She tried not to fall into the swirling vortex of lust.

'Because no one made me feel like you did. I don't want to lose that. So there was never really a contest.'

Instantly, he grabbed her head and crashed his lips onto hers. Natalie smiled and kissed him back even forcefully. His hands moved up and down the side of her waist, lighting a fire inside her body. She yanked his hair and he groaned in her mouth.

Realizing that they were probably not going to stop, Natalie pulled away. Peter smiled in silent understanding. He simply held her for a while, brown boring into brown.

He began to sing to her.

I feel your warmth, got me wanting more, you've left the door half open

I'm in two minds to explore

But then again, am I being honest, being truthful to myself

Can I see my life without you

Could I be with someone else?

It seems I've grown attached

Though we're not the perfect match

I just can't explain it

Natalie smiled as she remembered that perfect night. While in his arms, she sang back.

Should I stay

Should I go

Could I ever really stand to let you go

Can you now find the right words to say-

'I love you Natalie.'

She stopped midway. Did she hear him right?

He grinned at her.

She heard him right.

'I love you Peter,' she said, his face between her hands.

'You know, that is the first time you told me that.'

'Well, I thought it was obligatory to say it once in every relationship.'

'Ouch,' Peter grinned at her. Natalie laughed.

'Let's get going. I believe I have a plane to catch.'

'We have a plan to catch,' Nathalie corrected him.

'Yes we do.'

Natalie Holden didn't know what her life held after Blackpool. She could picture it however. He was there with her.

For all of it. 

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**You came, you read, now you review! Hardcore member of the DT fandom? I wanna know! Let's be alone together. :D **


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